Washington Redskins quarterback Pat White (5) runs the ball in for a touchdown during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

With Robert Griffin III just gaining clearance on his surgically reconstructed right knee to start the Washington Redskins' Sept. 9 season opener and backup Kirk Cousins coming off a sprained foot, fourth-stringer Pat White made the team's final roster.

White, who was out of football since 2010 until making a comeback during West Virginia's March 14 pro day, joins Griffin, Cousins and third-string veteran Rex Grossman as the Redskins kept four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.

One other reason coach Mike Shanahan might have kept White, who played the 2009 season with the Miami Dolphins after he was drafted in the second round? The left-handed former West Virginia passer can run the read-option and provide a reasonable scout-team imitation of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to help the Redskins defense prepare for first-year coach Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense.

White, 27, said of his comeback bid after his March workout for 10 teams in Morgantown, W.Va., "I'm pretty certain I'll be in somebody's uniform next year, whether it's the NFL or the Canadian Football League.''

The mobile passer, who set an NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback while at West Virginia, picked an ideal time for his comeback given the league's new read-option craze, not to mention the uncertainty clouding the durability of the Redskins' top two quarterbacks to start the season.

White, 34-8 with four bowl game wins in four bowl starts at West Virginia, was released by the Dolphins on Sept. 4, 2010.